Organic Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars

Here is one of my entries for the Eagle Brand $10,000 Essay & Recipe Contest! Its so simple, tasty, AND healthy (the last one is hard to come by in this household)! :)

  
The “secret” ingredient in these healthy, organic granola bars is the Eagle-Brand Fat-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk. The sweetened condensed milk gives these tasty bars the chewy texture they desire. These Organic Dark Chocolate Cherry Bars with satisfy your sweet tooth, but not hurt your waist-line. The perfect duo of dark chocolate and cherries, contrasted by the crunch of the toasted pecans and chewy texture from the sweetened condensed milk make these bars an ideal snack for everyone in your family!

Organic Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups organic rolled oats

½ cup organic wheat germ

½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

¾  cup organic dark chocolate chips

¾  cup dried cherries, chopped

½ cup shredded coconut

1 (14 ounce) can Fat-Free Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl.

2.  Grease a 9X13” pyrex pan. Spread the mixture evenly and pat down with the back of a large spoon. 

3. Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate chips, if desired.